Top 6 Ship-Sinking Gameplay Tips for Battlewake, Out Now

Avast ye! Lauren Irvine, Community Manager at Survios, here to welcome you to the most pirate-tastic game on PSV-ARRRRRR: Battlewake. Let’s take the plunge into those sneaky skills that’ll set you apart upon the seas! Battlewake’s vehicle-centric naval combat transforms you into a mythical, magic-wielding Pirate Lord at the helm of a ship outfitted with three sets of weapons. These top six tips straight from the Survios devs will give you the edge on your fellow pirates as you battle for dominion in the ever-churning waters of New Urth.

1) Use Yer Anchors!

Yar, it be extremely satisfying to seize and spin your ship’s wheel, but when the battle really heats up, it won’t get you where you need to be as efficiently as yer anchors! Located on either side of the wheel, grabbing and pulling an anchor can allow you to execute game-changing hairpin turns around your enemies, environmental obstacles, and even krakens and maelstroms.

2) Keep an Eye on Yer Arms!

Those fancy tattoos and armor aren’t just there to make ye look pretty. They act as cooldown indicators for your Pirate Lord’s unique special power: when the tattoos or sigils glow bright blue, you’re ready to summon a smashing tentacle (Rev), targeted wave blast (Zhang), an exploding bone shield (Calavera), or surging speed boost (Diego).

3) The Environment Helps & Hinders Alike!

Always stay aware of yer surroundings, for the lush, elemental seascapes of New Urth are as deadly as they are lovely, and they will give you no quarter. Arctic glaciers can pin and crush you, meteors can sink you, and there are always good old-fashioned rocks to get in your way. Take advantage of the environment based on your playstyle: sneak up on enemies, lure them into traps, gain quick cover with sharp turns, and more.

4) Don’t Immediately Flip That Coin!

When the coin for yer ultimate materializes, the temptation to immediately use it is so irresistible—but resist ye must (sometimes)! Your Pirate Lord’s ultimate power has a fairly long cooldown, so when the coin appears, assess your situation and see if that giant Kraken is really warranted (yet).

5) Use All the Weapons at Yer Disposal!

Each ship comes outfitted with different weapons on the front (bow), sides (starboard/right and port/left), and rear (stern) of the ship; the weapons will activate depending on where you’re aiming to fire with your controller. Use this to your positioning advantage, keeping these tips in mind: the most bombastic finisher weapons are located on starboard and port, and all ships are more prone to critical hits in their stern!

6) Mix ‘n Match Ships, Captains & Controls to Yer Playstyle!

We get the drill: ye want to hit the high seas, so ye grab the first ship in port and raise the anchor. But the four ships available to you boast distinctively different stats that can make for interesting pairings depending on your playstyle and your Pirate Lord’s powers. (And, thanks to community demand, you can also toggle on Advanced Helm Controls to disable the default autogrip.) Additionally, you can upgrade and level up your ships with a higher weapon count and increased health; before ye know it, yer ship will be the most feared in New Urth!

We are most gracious to all of you for supporting Survios and playing Battlewake. We’ll have an interesting challenge for all you gold-hoarding Pirate Lords out there later this month, so in the meantime, get to earning yer sea legs and we’ll see you ’pon the tides of war!